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Ingestion of a Single 2.3 mm Lead Pellet by Laying Roller Pigeon Hens Reduces Egg Size and Adversely Affects F1 Generation Hatchlings

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Abstract

Many aquatic and terrestrial avian species inadvertently ingest lead (Pb) in the form of spent or fragmented ammunition, mistaking it for food or grit. Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that ingestion of even a single 45-mg pellet can significantly increase blood-Pb levels and significantly inhibit the enzyme delta aminolevulinic-acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD) for a period of greater than 4 weeks. In the current study, proven breeder pairs of domestic Roller pigeons were housed in individual cages. The hens were orally gavaged with dH2O vehicle, a single #9 Pb pellet (2.0 mm/45 mg) or a single #7.5 Pb pellet (2.3 mm/95 mg), placed back with the cock bird and allowed to mate for two consecutive clutches. The eggs were monitored for fertilization, shell damage, egg weight, and length during the 16- to 18-day incubation period. Hatchlings remained with the hen and cock through the weaning period (28–35 days post hatch) and were monitored for weight, development, and mortality. Weanling blood was collected for blood-Pb levels, δ-ALAD activity, red blood cell counts, total protein, and packed cell volume. Following euthanasia, weanling liver, spleen, kidney, sciatic nerve, thymus, and brain were collected for histopathology. Egg weight and length were significantly decreased in the #7.5 Pb pellet treatment group for the first clutch, and hatchling weight 7 days post hatch also was significantly less in the #7.5 Pb pellet treatment group during the first clutch. Histopathologic analysis showed increased lesions in liver, kidney, spleen, and thymus of the Pb-treated weanlings, during both the first and second clutch compared with the non-Pb-treated weanlings. These data suggest that maternal consumption of a single 95-mg Pb pellet can adversely impact egg size and hatchling organ development.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Danny Joe Humphrey for selecting and supplying the mating pairs of birds for this study. They also thank Brent Lovern, Rose Hill, and all of the animal care workers at the University of Georgia Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center for the care of the birds. This study was funded by a Grant provided by the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Institute for Public Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Biosciences and Diagnostic Imagining, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Robert J. Williams, Steven D. Holladay, Ajay Sharma & Robert M. Gogal Jr.

  2. U.S. Army Institute of Public Health, Aberdeen, MD, USA

    Lawrence V. Tannenbaum

  3. Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Susan M. Williams

  4. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA

    Richard C. Tuckfield

  5. Color Pigeons, Kinston, NC, USA

    Danny Joe Humphrey

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  1. Robert J. Williams
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  2. Lawrence V. Tannenbaum
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  3. Susan M. Williams
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  4. Steven D. Holladay
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  5. Richard C. Tuckfield
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  6. Ajay Sharma
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  7. Danny Joe Humphrey
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  8. Robert M. Gogal Jr.
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Correspondence to Robert M. Gogal Jr..

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Williams, R.J., Tannenbaum, L.V., Williams, S.M. et al. Ingestion of a Single 2.3 mm Lead Pellet by Laying Roller Pigeon Hens Reduces Egg Size and Adversely Affects F1 Generation Hatchlings. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 73, 513–521 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-017-0406-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-017-0406-9

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